Combustion cone or protector for torches



"0a. 6, v1931. R, A @URM 1,826,241

COMBUSTION CCNE OR PROTECTOR FOR TORGHES Filed March 29, 1929 /zrfa/@VAG Patented Oct. 6, 1931 i UNITED STATES Parleur 'o1-"Fics ROBERTCUR-RIE, F SYR-ACUSE, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TOR. DIAETZ COMPANY, VOIE' A nNEVI YORK, N."Y.

- COMBUSTION GONE 0R PROTECTGR FOR TORGHES Application filed March 29,1929. Serial No. 350,935.

rl`his inventionrelates to combustion cones or fiame protectors forlamps, particularly of the torch type which are commonly used in placeswhere they are exposed to out-door weather conditions, and which are notprovided with chimneys, globes or the like, such as used in other typesof lamps and lanterns. n One object of the invention is to provide apractical and simple device for use on torch lamps which, in operation,will effectually direct the air to the fiame so' as to properly supportcombustion'r and prev'entthe flame from being extinguished. Y

f \Another object is to provide a device which willfeffectually keep thetorch burning dur-v ing strong winds, shifting air currents and otherradverse weather conditions.

Other objectsof the invention are tofprovide a device of simple andpractical construction which will enable the efficient and reliable useof torches out'of doors and prevent vtheir flames from being blown outorbeing extinguished by rain or snowj' also to provide a combustion coneor device which A provides afiame'chamber of such form and dimensions asto insure the necessary supply of lair to the flame to sustain theflamefand revive itin intensity following sudden shifts in the wind;also to provide a combustion cone or flame protector which will keep thetorch burning under all vweather conditions; and also to provide acombustion cone .or fiame protector which is of the. improvedconstructionand has the advantages hereinafter described and set forthin the. claims. Ink the accompanying-drawings: 'i

Fig. ljis a fragmentary elevation on a reduced scale, of a torch lampprovided with a combustion cone or fiame protector embodying myinvention.y

Fig. 2 is a plan view, full size, of the combustion cone or protectorpartly in section on line ,f2-2, Fig. Y f l Fig. 3 isa fragmentaryelevation of the torch showing'the cone or protector in section online'3-8, Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary elevation of the torch showing the holding devicefor the com-w bustion cone moved out of its holding position. i

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing a slightly modified embodimentofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawings l() represents the upper portion of thebody or front of a torch lamp and 11 represents the wick tube or burnerthereof which projects from the top of the torch body and through whichthe usual wick 12 passes. The

burner shown has a cylindrical, tubular up# per end portion 13and acircumferential enlargement orflange M at the base of the cylindricalportion of the burner andV which is adapted to bear or seat against thetop of v the top of the the cone or protector is of stepped formation,

having three substantially cylindricalV portions 17, 18 and 19, whichare of successively larger diameter from the lower tothe upper end ofthe devic-e, and are ,connected by annular shoulder portions. lower end2O of the circular wall extends inwardly and has an upstanding orupturned cylindrical sleeve 2l which surrounds and is adapted to beslipped on the cylindrical por# Preferably, Y the tion 13 of the burnertube, whereby the combustion cone or protector is retained in place onthe burner resting at. its lower end 2O on the annular enlargement '14of the burner. Thus, the combustion cone or protector, .pro-V vides acombustion chamber into which the Y.

upper endof ,the burner tube extends, and which forms an annularairspace `22k surrounding the upper end portion of the burner 11. v

As shown, the circular wall and top 16 of the protector are formed ofseparate sheet lne metal pieces or stampings secured together by aninterlocking or other suitable joint at the junction of the upper end ofthe circular wall with the outer periphery of the top plate 16, but thecombustion cone or protector could be made of other suitableconstruction.

The combustion cone or protector is provided in its circular wall withholes or openings of such size, disposition and form as to insure theproper supply of air to the burner to support combustion and to permitthe flame to issue or extend through the openings out of the combustionrcone or protector. As shown in Figs. 14e, the intermediate cylindricalportion 18 of the circular wall is provided with a plurality of circularholes Q3 which are spaced equidistantly around this portion 18 of thecircular wall, and the uppermost cylindrical portion 19 of the circularwall is provided with elongated openings 2li which are also disposedequidistantly around this largest portion 19 and are preferably ofsubstantially larger area than the holes Q3. Preferably the openingsAare located so that the openings 9A alternate with or are locatedbetween the holes 23 circumferentially of the protector. The lower andsmaller holes 28 are preferably located with respect to the burner,substantially at the elevation shown, that is so that the lower edges ofthe holes 23 are at substantially the same elevation or slightly abovethe top edge of the burner or wick tube 11. The large openings 2.1L arethus disposed at a substantie/il elevation above the top of the burneror wick tube 11.

lith the combustion cone or protector formed and proportionedsubstantially as shown, the necessary supply vof air to the burner tosupport combustion is insured and the vfla me will burn within ktheprotector, and the tongues of flame will protrude or extend out throughthe large, upper openings 24 so that the torch will furnish the intendedillumination. Nevertheless this construction prevents the flame .frombeing extinguished by strong winds or drafts. In the use of the torch,the flame varies with wind currents, and even in a strong breeze it mayfirst flare up on one side and then suddenly veer or shift to anotherside of the device. The large flame or combustion chamber provided,which extends a substantial height above the upper end of the burnertube and at its widest upper portion is of much greater cross sectionalarea than the burner tube and wick, and which has side openings such asshown, always insures an adequate supply of air for the flame to sustainitself and revive in intensity following sudden shifts of wind. Theflame will not be extinguished or in effeet sheared off by blasts of airthrough the openings in the sides of the combustion cone or protector,as would be the case with a. protector providing a small flame chamberin which the flame openings would be neressarily disposed close to andsubstantially at or only slightly above the level of the top edge of thewick tube.

The combustion cone or protector shown in Fig. 5 is of substantially thesame form and dimensions as that shown in Figs. 1-1 and above described,but in the F ig. construction, an annular row of perforations S25 isprovided in the reduced lowermost cylindrical portion 17 of the cone,below the level of the t'op of the burner tube, in addition to theopenings in the larger, intermediate and top cylindrical portions 18 and19 of the cone or protector. 1n this construction a larger number ofholes 26 are shown in the intermediate cylindrical portion 18 of thecone or protector, these openings, however, being preferably of aboutthe same size, and disposed at substantially the same elevation as shownin the construction first described. The combustion cone or protectorshown in Fig 5 is also preferably provided with an internal flange ordeflector ring 27 which projects inwardly from the circular wall of thecone between the two rows of holes 25 and 26 toward the burner tube 11.This flange may be suitably secured to the circular wall of thecombustion cone or protector, and as shown, its inner periphery isspaced from the burner tube 11 so as to leave an annular air passage Q8between the inner edge of the deflector 27 and the burner tube throughwhich air entering through the bottom row of perfor-ations Q5 can flowupwardly around the burner tube into the large (ombustion or flame spacein the combustion concor protector. The deflector 27 is preferablyformed as shown, that is, it is provided near its inner edge with a.circumferential groove, and the inner edge of the deflector 27 tapersupwardly and inwardly toward the burner tube. In this construction. airis taken in through the bottom row of perforations and is directedthrough the passage Q8 to the base of the flame so as to supportcombustion.

Both constructions of the cone or protector shown and described providea combustion chamber amply large and having openings arranged so as tokeep the torch burning during heavy winds, and prevent a shearing actionof the wind which would, in effect, out or tear the flame from Ithewick. Besides, the device performs the important function of feeding thenecessary supply of air close to the top of the wick tube. The flamechamber is large enough for the flame to build up and in a way besupported by the side walls of the cone. Then when changing air currentsare set up, as for example, by rapidly passing vehicles,there is a spacearound the flame suflicient to permit it' to recover its balance. Theimperforate top of the con'ibustion cone or protector prevents rain orsnow from falling on the wick and quenching the flame.

rlhe combustion cone or protector, in either of the forms illustratedand described, may be retained in place on the torch against accidentaldisplacement by suitable means. For example, as shown, the lower end ofthe combustion cone or protector, as before eX- plained, is adapted tobe slipped down over the upper end of the burner tube and against theliange 13 of the burner, and it is releasably held in place on this seatby a bail or handle 30. The ends of the legs of this bail are pivoted inholes in the sides of the wick tube below the lower end of theprotector, and the legs of the bail, when the latter is in the uprightposition shown in Fig. l', are adapted to snap into shallow notches 3lin the periphery of the upper end of the combustion cone or protector,see Fig. 2. The

, legs of the bail have portions which incline inwardly just above theedge of thecone or protector, as indicated, so that when the legs areseated in the notches 3l in engagement with the edge of the protector,the bail will firmly hold the protector on its seat on the burner orwick tube. The bail can be readily disengaged from the protector simplyby swinging the bail downwardly to a laterally projecting position, bydoing which the legs of the bail will be sprung out of holdingengagement with the notches 3l and will release the combustion cone orprotector, which can then be pulled or lifted 0H of the burner or wicktube.

The bail 80 is preferably the carrying bail or handle for the torch.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination with a torch having a wick tube, of a hollowprotector which provides a combustion chanber surrounding the upper endof said wick tube and having flame openings in its sides at an elevationabove the upper end of the wick tube, and air admission holes at a lowerelevation, the cross sectional area of the portion of said chamber inwhich said llame openings are located being more than twice that of thewick tube. n

2. The combination with a torch having a burner, of a hollow protectorwhich provides a combustion chamber surrounding the upper end of saidburner, and having flame exit openings in its sides at an elevationabove the upper end of the burner, and means for the admission of air tosaid chamber below said flame exit openings and adjacent the upper endof the burner, the cross sectional area of the portion of said chamberin which said exit flame openings are located being more than twice thatof the burner. y

3. The combination with a torch having a wick tube, of a hollowprotector which provides a combustion chamber surrounding the upper endof said wick tube and having lame'exit openings and adjacent theupperend of the wicktube, the cross sectional area of the portion of saidchamber in which said lflame openings are located being more than twicethat ofthe wick tube.

4. VThe combination with a torch burner,y

of a hollow protector which covers theupper -end ofthe burner and haslower,intermedi yate/.and top portions at different elevations `whichmaterially increase in cross sectional area from vthe bottom to thetop'portion, and said protector having flame exit openings in the sidesof said top portion, andair admission holes in a lower portion.

5. The combination with a torch burner, of a hollow Vprotector whichcovers the upper endof the burner and has an annular wall vof steppedformation. which increases in diameter from its lower to its upperportion, said upper and lower portions being of materially differentcross lsectional area, said 'annular wall having flameexit openings` initslarge upper portion and `air yadmission `holes inea lower' portion. fY t 6. Thecombination with a torch burner, of ,a hollow vprotector whichcovers .the upper end of the burner and isprovided in its sides ywithopenings, and a'retaining device .movably connected'to the torch andarrangedto engagesaid protector for releasably retaining it in place onthe torch.` Y

7. rPhe combination with a torch burner, of a hollow protector whichcovers the upper end ofthe burner and is provided yinits sides withopenings, and a bail pivoted to the torch and movable into holdingengagement with saidprote-ctor for releasably retaining it in vplace onthe torch.

8. The combination with a torch burner, of a hollow protector whichcovers vthe upper Aend of `the-burner and is provided in its sides withopenings and at its lower 'end with a sleevefwhichQsurrounds andremovably fits the upper end of the burner, and a retaining devicemovable to and from holding position for releasably holding it on saidburner.

9. The combination with a torch having a burner, of a hollow protectorwhich provides a combustion chamber for the burner llame having anupper-portion of materially larger cross sectional area than the burner,and having flame openings in the sides of said upper a portion ofmaterially larger cross sectional area. above said reduced portion, andhaving flame exit-.openings in the sides ofsaid larger portion and .atan elevation 4above the .upper end .ofthe wick tube, and means for theadmission of air to said combustion -chamber r'below ,said ame exitopenings.

l1. The combination with :a torch having a wick tube, of a hollowprotector which encloses the upper end of the wick tube and .provides avcombustion chamber for `the torch flame having a reduced lower portionsurrounding the upper end of the wick tube and a portion of materiallylarger cross sectional area above said reduced portion, kand havingflame exit openings in the sides of said larger portion and at anelevation above the upper end of the wick tube, aud air admisrsion holesbelow said flame exitopenings.

12. The combination with a torch having a burner, of a hollow protectorwhich provides a combustion chamber in which the torch flame burns andwhich increases in .horizontal diameter upwardly and the upper portion:of vwhich is of rmaterially greater cross sectional area than therlower portion, said eh amber having flame exit openings in the sidesot' said large upper portion at an elevation above the burner, and anair inlet for said combustion chamber at a lower elevation than saidflame openings.

13. The combination with a torch having :a wick tube, of a hollowprotector which surrounds .the upper end ot' the wick tube and has areduced lower portion annularly spaced from the wick tube and a portionof materially larger cross sectional area above said re vduced portion,and which has flame exit open- `ings in .the sides of said largerportion and vat an elevation above the upper end of the wick tube, adelector ring' partially closing the annular space between the wick tubeand the wall of the reduced lower portion of the protector', and meansfor the admission of 45 ,-air to said protector above and *below saiddeflector ring.

ROBERT A. CURRIE.

